Page 90 of Hexed
Smirking, I lean against the wall, the high-end liquor bottles on display above me, and I cross my arms as I watch her. She’s not really focused on any one thing, but every so often, her eyes flick across the room like she’s looking for something in particular.
Or someone.
A brief flash of panic hits me that maybe she’s looking for Enzo and thinks he’d be here with me…but I brush it off because that’s ridiculous.
“Fisher’s not here,” I say, testing the waters. “If that’s who you’re glancing around for.”
Her eyes snap to mine, and she laughs, running a hand through her hair, snagging on the ends when she gets caught in a tangle. She frowns down at it and tries to pick it apart with her fingers, and when that doesn’t work, she reaches out, grabs oneof the silverware roll-ups, and undoes it, taking a fork and using it to comb through the ends.
Now I look ather. “I have a brush you can use.”
She glances up from where she’s running the fork through her hair, her brows hopping high on her forehead. “Why? This dingle thing works just fine.”
“Because it’s disgusting?” I phrase it like a question.
She scowls at me. “You’redisgusting. Always have been. Stop projecting your self-loathing onto me. Momma used to use these all the time when I needed something to get out knots.” She picks at her ends again.
“That’s…strange.”
“Says the girl who chants to the moon,” she bites back.
A grin takes over my face. “Don’t be mad because I know you’re scanning the room for Fisher.”
The fork gets stuck in her hair, and she jerks it free. “I amnot.”
“You are,” I say, walking over to the coffee machine and grabbing two mugs. “You still take it black with two sugars?”
“Yeah,” she replies.
I make the coffees and pass one to her before leaning on the bar, my elbows resting on the top while I bring the hot mug to my lips and take a long sip. “Why are you here, Aria?”
She takes her own sip before sighing and setting the mug down. “I told you, I was curious. I remember when we were kids, you used to talk about this place all the time, but Daddy wouldn’t ever let me come see it for myself.”
“He was right for that. This wasn’t a place for any kid to be.”
“You were here.”
I grin. “And look how I turned out.”
“How about now, you think it’s okay for kids?”
“Now it’s probably worse.” I take another sip.
A ghost of a smile passes over her face, and this is weird.
It’s been…years since we talked like this. In fact, the only time it happened was when I first moved into the estate, right after we met, when she bounced into my room and proclaimed me her new sister and that we’d be best friends.
Funny how short-lived that was.
Now there are too many years of hurt. Too many unforgivable things she’s done that I can’t look past.
“I saw Rusty last night,” I tell her.
Her body stiffens, the mug poised at her bottom lip.
“Does that make you uncomfortable?” I cock my head. “Bring back memories of some of your worst traits?”
Aria sniffs and lifts her chin, placing the coffee cup down. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
